Day 1286

I discovered why there were all the warnings about wearing gloves and protective eye wear on the can of expanding foam insulation I used to fill cracks in the house this morning. The stuff is nasty. Since I am growing increasingly clumsy, I followed all the directions on the can and dressed accordingly. I hate working with this stuff, but it's still the best way I know to fill the cracks and crevices where bugs can get into your house.

After sealing several dozen potential entry points, I accidentally discovered where the bees were coming from and successfully removed the small but growing hive.  It was a tiring, but successful morning.  I didn't get stung and only managed to get a small amount of the gooey foam on my arm.  The instructions said to let the foam dry on your skin and it would wear off.

The dogs loved their trip to the dog park, since they hadn't been in several weeks. The fun was short lived though, because it was just too hot outside. Even though we brought our own water with us, we only ended up staying about half as long as we usually do. The heat made the bath that came afterwards somewhat of a welcome relief. Dot and Dash usually hate getting a bath, but today they seemed to welcome the cool water flowing over them.

I waited to take my own shower until later, because there was still work to be done. I mowed the grass and sowed some new "deep shade" seed in an effort to fill the patchy areas are are already starting to appear in the grass we put in this Spring. When I had the landscape guys over last week to remove the large limb that had fallen, I asked them why the grass was looking so patchy. They looked genuinely puzzled. The grass should be growing well. The soil was prepared properly. The grass was watered and fertilized properly. There are no insects in the soil as of yet. It's just not growing well. I'm beginning to think that our yard is some kind of Bermuda triangle for horticulture.

This weekend really went quickly. Tomorrow, I'll go back with a serrated knife and cut the rough edges off the expanding foam after it has fully cured. Then, after I paint the stuff, you won't even know it was there. If I don't have a lot of writing work on Monday, I might go out and price some new tires for the Defender. I've started noticing that the slow leak in the rear tire is getting worse, and it's time for new tires anyway. Buying tires is right up there with putting on a new roof when it comes to satisfying ways to spend money. Oh, well. As Mick Jagger says, "You can't always get what you want..."

Dot and Dash have the right idea. They certainly didn't try to turn this weekend into a chore marathon. Right now, they're both taking a snooze on top of the bed's freshly laundered comforter. I'll think I'll join them.

Boo is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day